Currently, components which are to be mated together in a manufacturing process are mutually located with respect to each other by 2-way and/or 4-way male alignment features, typically upstanding bosses, which are received into corresponding female alignment features, typically apertures in the form of holes or slots. There is a clearance between the male alignment features and their respective female alignment features which is predetermined to match anticipated size and positional variation tolerances of the male and female alignment features as a result of manufacturing (or fabrication) variances. As a result, there can occur significant positional variation as between the mated first and second components which contributes to the presence of undesirably large and varying gaps and otherwise poor fit therebetween.
By way of example, FIGS. 1 through 3 illustrate the prior art location modality for the aligning of two components as they are being mutually mated.
A first component 10 has a plurality of male alignment features in the form of an upstanding elongated rib 12 and spaced therefrom an upstanding four-pronged stud 14. A second component 16 has a plurality of female alignment features in the form of a narrow slot 18 disposed at an end and a wide slot 20 disposed at the opposite end. The additional slots 22 of the second component 16 are intended to provide clearance for threaded fasteners 24 to be screwed into screw receiving holes 26 of the first component 10.
As best shown at FIG. 2, the elongated rib 12 is loosely received into the narrow slot 18, wherein the spacing 30 between the sides 18′ of the narrow slot and the sides 12′ of the elongated rib allow spacing therebetween for accommodating manufacturing variances. Similarly, as best shown at FIG. 3, the pronged stud 14 is loosely received into the wide slot 20, wherein the spacing 30 between the sides 20′ of the wide slot and the sides 14″ of the prongs 14′ of the pronged stud allow spacing therebetween for accommodating manufacturing variances. For example, the spacing (or gap, or clearance) 30 between the male and female alignment features may be 0.6 mm, whereby the error of mating of the first component to the second component may be up to about 1.2 mm as a cross-car and up-down float.
In operation, as the first and second components are mated together, the initial contact therebetween occurs when the elongated rib passes into the narrow slot and the pronged stud passes into the wide slot, whereby the first and second components are brought into a general alignment to one another. The larger size of the narrow slot in relation to the elongated rib and the larger size of the wide slot in relation to the pronged stud allow the mating to proceed smoothly and effortlessly as the first and second components mate, even if there is present manufacturing variance in terms of size and position of the alignment features. Problematically, however, there is considerable float as between the elongated rib in relation to the narrow slot and as between the pronged stud and the wide slot. This float (or play), as mentioned above, allows for the first component to be aligned relative to the second component generally, but not precisely. When the threaded fasteners are screwed in, any misfit of alignment becomes manifest, and the visible joint between the two components may be irregular, have too large a gap, be unbalanced in appearance, etc., in any event the misfit of alignment rendering the fit unacceptable for a Class A finish.
Accordingly, what remains needed in the art is to somehow provide an alignment modality for the mating of components, wherein when mating is completed there is a lack of play as between the male and female alignment features so as to provide a precision alignment, yet the aligned mating proceeds smoothly and effortlessly each time.